Universal Service and Emergency Numbers

What is universal service?

Universal service is the smallest set of telecommunications services of a specified quality, available to all end users in Slovenia at an affordable price, irrespective of their geographical location.

The smallest set of services included in universal service comprises:

• connection to the public telephony network and access to the publicly available telephony services at a fixed location upon a user’s reasonable request, so that it is possible to make and receive domestic (local and long-distance) as well as international calls, and transmit fax and data communication with a transfer rate suitable for a functional internet connection;

• provision of and access to a universal phone directory and to a service providing information about subscribers (universal directory enquiry service);

• provision of public pay telephones, from which it is possible to call emergency numbers free of charge and without the use of any means of payment, so the reasonable needs of end-users are fulfilled in terms of their geographical coverage, the number of public telephones, access for users with disabilities, and the quality of services;

• provision of measures for disabled end-users, which are determined by the government on the appropriate recommendation of the competent minister, and which allow end-users with disabilities undiscriminating use and access to publicly available telephony services, including access to emergency services, directories, and directory information services, just like other end-users have.

On the basis of the public tender, the Agency determines either one or several providers of universal services for 5 years, so that universal service is provided throughout the entire territory of Slovenia. If the public tender is unsuccessful, the Agency determines as universal service provider the operator that has significant market power in the area of publicly available telephony services at a fixed location. If such an operator does not exist, the Agency chooses the provider with the most subscribers to publicly available telephone services at a fixed location.

112 – the Universal European Emergency Number

The public telephony network operator or the provider of publicly available telephone services must ensure that users of publicly accessible telephony services, including public pay phone users, can call emergency numbers free of charge. The carrier must keep its users informed:

• about the existence and meaning of the universal European emergency number 112 by publications on its websites and in the directory in a visible place,

• that in case of a malfunction or an interruption of the operations of the power grid, internet connections, and/or terminal hardware, use of telephone services, including emergency numbers (112 and 113), is not possible, and that they can ensure access to service in the event of a public power grid failure themselves by using an uninterruptible supply (UPS) system for powering network elements and terminal equipment.

It must also inform roaming users via text message upon their entry into its network.

Public telephony network operators or providers of publicly available telephony services, that provide access to the universal European emergency number 112, must inform the Agency about the quality of the service for the universal European emergency number 112 by 1 April of the current year at the latest.
 
More about the universal European emergency number 112 can be found on the websites of the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) and at www.sos112.si.

113 – the National Emergency Number

In addition to the universal European emergency number 112, Slovenia also has a special national emergency number 113 – the number for the police.
The public telephony network operator or the provider of publicly available telephony services must ensure that users of publicly available telephony services, including public pay phone users, can call emergency numbers free of charge.

It must also inform roaming users via text message upon their entry into its network.

116 – the Number for Services of Social Value

In 2007, the European Commission adopted the Decision on reserving the national numbering range beginning with 116. Thus it determined numbers for harmonized services of social value.

A harmonized service of social value is a service which is available to individuals through a toll-free number and is also available to visitors from abroad and also fulfills a specific social need. In particular it contributes to the safety and well-being of citizens, or helps those in need.

The European Commission decision determines the following conditions for the use of numbers for conducting a harmonized service of social value:

• the service provides citizens with information, help, or tools for informing, or any combination thereof,

• the service is available to all citizens, with no prior registration necessary,

• the service is not limited in terms of time,

• use of the service requires neither payment, nor a commitment to payment,

• during the call, the following activities are forbidden: advertising, entertainment, marketing and sales, and using the call for the future sale of commercial services.

Beyond these, certain special national conditions may be determined regarding the right to use harmonized numbers.

The Agency assigns available 116 numbers to providers of harmonized services of social value through a public tender as determined by the Electronic Communications Act.  

A register of the numbering space – the already allocated 116 numbers in Slovenia